#2 Shades of Gray: From Moscow, With Love Read online

  Chapter Four

  The Council

  1:19 P.M...

  Hellenistic Sector, Unknown Vicinage...

  The new Sanctum...

  Within the Chamber...

  "Come on people!" a male supervisor barked. "You're behind on your one o'clock reports. Let's get them in." After a few minutes, he scanned over a H.H.C. and moved to one of the twenty-four analysts. "You're the last one. What's the hold up?"

  "It's these readings from the new project. There was so much to compile that–" the male analyst started, "–I didn't leave enough time to write out the report. I won't make the same mistake again."

  "The Council doesn't tolerate inefficiency or errors."

  "I know, but like I said, I discovered my miscalculation." The analyst sent in his report. "It won't happen again."

  "Make sure it doesn't," the supervisor said as he went back to walking the line of workstations.

  In the center of the Chamber...

  The Council sat at a long rectangular table that was the darkest point of the room, and the laptops and H.H.Cs. were the only things that illuminated the immediate area. The Council monitored many black projects and on this day, they monitored one experiment in particular. Mr. Morta a tall man with a stout built sat at the head of the table.

  The door to the Chamber opened, and light from the hallway revealed Ms. Nona was a slim lilliputian and dwarfed Mr. Morta's frame. She sat to his right on a specially designed chair that raised her to the table.

  Ms. Nona turned to her laptop and stated, "We are receiving a report from Cerberus." She typed across the keyboard with her cherry-red nails. "Vulcan Station is now in our hands. Two of our squads of Sphinx Corporate Military have already arrived in Antarctica, and the S.C.Ms. have taken over the base."

  "Good, good," Mr. Morta said. "Vulcan Station was the last Factory facility in operation, and now the acquisition of our sister department's assets is complete." He paused and asked, "What of the two scientists at Vulcan Station?"

  Mr. Decuma was a meager man of average height, and he sounded disappointed when he replied, "Cerberus did not kill them as instructed, but..."

  Mr. Morta demanded, "But what?"

  Mr. Decuma answered, "Well..."

  When he hesitated, Ms. Nona replied, "Dr. John Gelid and Dr. Robert Seeker were injured."

  "How?" Mr. Morta questioned.

  "Cerberus tortured them with a laser cutter," Mr. Decuma answered. "Both men have severe burns. They have been flown back and are recuperating in our medical facility."

  Mr. Morta stated, "It would appear we need to be more precise in our instructions. We did want the cooperation of the scientists." He paused and questioned, "Where is Cerberus now?"

  "It is flying back to Noir." Ms. Nona looked to the clock on the laptop. "Cerberus should arrive within a few hours."

  Mr. Morta thought for a moment and asked, "How is Argus? I would like him to monitor Cerberus."

  "He is still receiving care," Mr. Decuma said. "The injuries he received from the T-3s when they tortured him were not life threatening. He should be ready to return to work in a few days."

  "Did he give up any information about our work or the Sanctum?"

  "He says no," Mr. Decuma answered. "He said that they were rescued before he broke."

  "They?" Mr. Morta was puzzled for a moment. "Ah, yes. The two Factory technicians we acquired. Tech One-eleven and Tech One-twelve. What are their names?"

  "Peters and Maxwell," Mr. Decuma answered. "We never did find out who rescued them. The men are closed mouth about it."

  "Do you believe Argus divulged any information?" Mr. Morta asked.

  "No," Mr. Decuma replied. "We did condition him to withstand pain. The T-3s may have broken him with time, but not in the short span that they had him. They had him three days to be precise."

  Ms. Nona questioned, "What intel do we have on the T-3s?"

  "The operatives we had following them turned up dead." Mr. Decuma scanned another H.H.C. "The last report we received from them stated they had left the Hellenistic Sector of Noir."

  "Create a new team," Mr. Morta commanded. "The T-3s must be found. We cannot have these machines on the loose. One Rogue is enough."

  Mr. Decuma went to work on the task and pulled up personnel files and after several minutes, he started compiling a new team.

  Ms. Nona's laptop beeped, and she opened the incoming message. "I have received a new report; Cerberus has stated its excitement."

  "Over what?" Mr. Morta questioned. Cerberus was experiencing a full range of emotions, and he knew this was good.

  "Over tracking and eliminating the Pandora Project," Ms. Nona answered and then bit her left thumb nail as she continued to study the data.

  Mr. Morta sounded concerned as he inquired, "Does Cerberus understand it is not to terminate Pandora?"

  "Yes," Ms. Nona answered as she moved her hand back to the laptop. "Cerberus anticipates the order will be given to take out Pandora, and it indicates it will study Pandora, so it will be better equipped to eliminate the old project."

  Mr. Decuma questioned Mr. Morta, "Why do you hesitate in giving the termination order?"

  "The Pandora Project's tracking beacon was destroyed, but we still receive bio-data from Pandora." Mr. Morta felt Mr. Decuma was suspicious of his recent actions, and tried to put his mind at ease by explaining it away with a question, "Do you remember what happened two days ago?"

  "Yes," Ms. Nona answered. "We received an influx of data, indicating Pandora reached the Delta Phase of its metamorphosis; it indicated that it had reached the Knowing."

  "The data cannot be correct." Mr. Decuma tapped the table with his finger and added, "There is no possible way the old project reached the Delta Phase without first achieving the Gamma, and its bio-data indicates that phase was never achieved."

  "Do you both agree then? We should suspend Pandora's termination." Mr. Morta hoped to change their minds or at least, postpone a negative decision. "We must analyze the bio-data and once we have the correct information, we can decide whether or not to destroy Pandora." He rested his elbows on the arms of the chair and folded his dark brown hands. "If the readings are corrupt, it is one thing, but if the readings are true..." Mr. Morta hoped to give his favorite project some more time. "We should investigate it further. We did want Pandora to reach all of its phases, and we want it to become the killer we programmed it to be."

  The other two glanced at each other and nodded.

  "I have one condition," Mr. Decuma spoke. "We will terminate Pandora even if the information is inconclusive."

  Mr. Morta nodded reluctantly and said, "It is agreed; Cerberus will observe Pandora. We will hold off termination until we have had enough time to study the data."

  He had bought Pandora a little more time, and he hoped she would find the answers she was seeking.